Grassie indicted for murder in connection with fatal stabbing

Friday

Sep 21, 2012 at 12:01 AMSep 21, 2012 at 9:21 PM

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz has announced that Bryan Grassie, 18, of 16 Bartlett Lane, East Wareham, was indicted Friday, Sept. 21, in Plymouth County Superior Court on a charge of murder in the stabbing death of Brendan Mahoney, 18, of Bridgewater, according to a press release.

Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz has announced that Bryan Grassie, 18, of 16 Bartlett Lane, East Wareham, was indicted Friday, Sept. 21, in Plymouth County Superior Court on a charge of murder in the stabbing death of Brendan Mahoney, 18, of Bridgewater, according to a press release. Grassie was also indicted on charges of assault to murder, and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the non-fatal stabbing of Brendan Mahoney’s brother, Brian Mahoney, 19, also of Bridgewater, during the same incident.

Wareham Police responded to the area of Priscilla Avenue in East Wareham for a report that two people had been stabbed Sunday, July 29, at 3:32 a.m. Officers arrived at the scene and found two men with apparent stab wounds lying on the dirt roadway at the intersection of Hardy Road at Priscilla Avenue. The victims were identified as brothers Brendan J. Mahoney and Brian P. Mahoney. Both were transported to Tobey Hospital in Wareham and later transferred to a Rhode Island-area hospital for further treatment. Brendan died Tuesday morning, July 31.

Grassie was initially arrested on two counts of assault with intent to murder for allegedly stabbing the two Bridgewater brothers.

Grassie’s attorney said he acted in self-defense during his first arraignment.

An affidavit filed in Wareham District Court by state police included witness testimony from other party-goers.

Witnesses said Grassie was intoxicated and confrontational when he came to the graduation party at 11 Priscilla Ave., but that he was walking away from the residence shouting insults to the partygoers prior to the fatal clash.

Another witness states that earlier in the night Grassie had shown him a knife in a threatening “manner.”

According to one witness, Grassie said he wanted to “kick their teeth in.” Another witness said that when Grassie hurled a homophobic slur at a group of partygoers, four of them, including Brian and Brendan Mahoney, started chasing after Grassie. According to the report, the witness stated that the group, “wanted to beat Grassie down.”

According to the report, witnesses state that the Mahoney brothers were leading the charge. The affidavit states one of the four who chased after Grassie says that he ran over a hill to find Grassie facing the Mahoney brothers in a “fighting stance.”

The witness says he then observed Brian Mahoney push Grassie against a chain link fence, and then Grassie was tackled by Brendan Mahoney. The witness says he then saw the brothers standing close to Grassie before they ran away yelling that they had been stabbed.

The report states that Grassie’s father, Eryk Grassie, told police that Grassie had come to him and told him about the fight. According to Eryk Grassie, Bryan Grassie is on blood thinning medication and cannot get into fights.

A witness quoted in the initial police report watched what he first thought were punches being thrown until he noticed blood on both brothers, and one of them collapsed to the ground. According to the report, “Grassie reportedly stood there for a moment without saying a word, then calmly turned and walked away.”

The case was investigated by the state police detectives assigned to the Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz’s office and the Wareham Police.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Tara Cappola.